My Husband and I Can't Afford to Pay Your Health Insurance and Ours!

I just read an article about how people can't afford health insurance now that the COBRA subsidy is expiring. Please people let's look past ourselves and see who we are asking to pay.

I was laid off in June of 2008. Why is the date important? Because all the subsidies and expansions started for those laid off after September of 2008. My husband has a struggling landscaping business, so my job had always provided our health care coverage. COBRA for us was about $1,000 per month. We took it! My husband has been a type 1 diabetic for the last 42 years. Not only could we not afford private insurance, most private insurance would not cover us.

When my COBRA expired, we found sole proprietor insurance for my husband's company that allows us to have less coverage for about a $1,000 per month. We have struggled and paid this since my full time employment ended. I work on short term consulting projects, and sell a few books, etc. And do you know what else I have been paying?

We, my husband and I and all of our friends who are struggling, have been paying for you who have received the subsidy. The only subsidy I was ever eligible for was an extension of unemployment which I turned down. Why? Because the limitation on what I could earn while on unemployment would not allow me to make enough to cover our health insurance and help with our mortgage. We have struggled and paid our taxes so that others can spend their spare time complaining that we are not interested in continuing to subsidize their subsidy.

I have a suggestion. Be grateful for all the months that those of us who are barely employed, working for ourselves and struggling to pay our benefits, paid to help you with your benefits. Say thank you and now find a way to help us, by helping yourself.

I know it is hard...I am there with you. I want to help, but I just can't afford you and us.